Let's Go Birding is excited to get folks outside to see all of nature at its finest. Destinations are planned according to the seasons and maximum viewing opportunities for bird species. Trips are organized in various ways including partnering with other organizations and through area festivals and outdoor events. Trips are listed below for your reference. I invite you to join in the adventure and I look forward to meeting you.
Lisa
Trips are designed for the beginning to intermediate adult birders. This non-intimidating group environment provides educational benefits to the birder that is trying to learn habitat variations, migration patterns, species identification and species locations.
Safety - Some people do not feel comfortable birding the open spaces alone. Birding trips provide the opportunity to bird places you have never been to before and with other people that share your interest. Besides, its a lot of fun!
Carpooling - In order to do our part
to lessen environmental impact, Let's Go Birding provides carpooling. Arrangements are made so that drivers are available if you wish to carpool. This means you can bird locations you may not wish to drive to yourself!
Optics - When birding in groups you have a chance to learn about the binocular models and spotting scopes currently available on the market. You can play with other people's optics before you have to make the big decision to upgrade your own birding equipment.
You get out of the house - Everyone has the best of intentions, but often left to our own devices we don't get around to doing some of the things we should. When you sign up for a Let's Go Birding adventure it motivates you to get out the door and enjoy some wildlife!
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 American Bittern
image by Tom Dunkerton
Eared Grebe
image by Ron Wolf
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Sun. April 11, 2010
8:00 AM - 11:30 AM
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A morning of birding at Cupertino's, Picchetti Winery
A Let's Go Birding Spring destination favorite
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$15
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We'll spend the morning walking the trails around the historic Picchetti Winery. Located in the hills above Cupertino, this is a beautiful hot spot for incredible Spring-time bird activity. The winery is open to the public and borders the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve so there is always activity going on all around. Its also a fantastic place to sharpen your birding by ears skills as many different species can be heard singing from the shadows of the oak/bay woodlands that make up this habitat. Species we'll look for include; Western Tanager, Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers, Black Headed Grosbeak and Bullock's Orioles. After our walk people can stay to enjoy some wine tasting and a relaxing picnic.
So I welcome you to start your morning with some fantastic birding.
Final Trip Report! |
Sat. April 17, 2010
8:00 AM - 4:00
PM
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Birding Mines Road
This trip will be conducted through the Los Gatos Birdwatcher
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FULL
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Mines Road, located on the eastern side of the Mount Hamilton Range is an annual event for birdwatchers. This long, rural road allows for many pull-outs as we spot Golden Eagles, Lewis's Woodleckers, Phainopepla, Lawrence 's Goldfinch, Lark Sparrow and many more. We never know what to expect and that is one reason this day is always an adventure. Evergreens and Oaks cover the hillsides and our birding will be done along road side pull outs where we study the landscape and find our birds.
This trip is planned in partnership with the Los Gatos Birdwatcher. To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
Final Trip Report ! |
Sunday, May 2, 2010
7:30 AM - 2:30 PM
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Fremont Peak, we'll bird all the way to the top!
Another Let's Go Birding favorite.
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$25
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From San Juan Bautista one travels 11 miles up to get to the top of Fremont Peak. There is a lot of history surrounding this area as far back as 1847 when Army Captain John C. Fremont selected this 3,169 foot peak to raise the American flag. It was at the peak that he and his men waited for a war that never happened. Its also a great place to go birding.This winding, mountain road has few travelers and affords birders many places to look for great birds. Once at the top on a clear day you can see Mount Hamilton, the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean. Its a Wonderful place to spend a morning birding. To sign-up simply email lisa@letsgobirding.com
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Saturday, May 8, 2010
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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California Condor Field-trip to Big Sur (Includes May 6 workshop from 7 - 8:30 PM)
In partnership with Trailslooger's - featuring outdoor discovery gear
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$35
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The recovery efforts to save the California Condor are nothing less than remarkable. This pre-historic vulture once found throughout North America was reduced down to only 27 birds by 1987. Because of extreme efforts to save the species there are now over 350 Condors living today! This workshop and field trip is being held in partnership with TRAILSLOGGER's. Located in downtown Campbell, Trailslogger carries all the latest outdoor gear. The workshop includes an evening held in downtown Campbell to learn about the California Condor, the recovery efforts to save the species and how you can identify them yourself in the field. We'll then head to Big Sur on Saturday May 8 to go find the condors now living in the area. Class fee does not include carpool.
To sign-up simply email lisa@letsgobirding.com or call the store (408) 866-5888 or visit - http://www.trailsloggers.com/
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Sat. May 15, 2010
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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A day birding Lone Tree Road
This trip will be conducted through the Los Gatos Birdwatcher
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$25
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Lone Tree Road is a beautiful country road located in San Benito County and north/east of Hollister. This road takes you up to about 1200 feet in elevation and dead-ends 10 miles into the foothills. It's a great place for birding as the road travels through several different habitats, through fields, along streams and under woodland canopies. There are more cows than people out this way so birders can count on finding a lot of great “country” birds. Between several different species of oak trees and green rolling hills, we also enjoyed the dramatic cliff faces along the neighboring mountains. This location is ideal for Golden Eagles and many other species that avoid the city life.
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
Final Trip report! |
Sat. June 19, 2010
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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The UCSC Campus, the Arboretum and surrounding habitat
This trip will be conducted through the "Los Gatos Birdwatcher"
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$25 +
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Let's Go Birding to The University of Santa Cruz Campus. The UCSC campus includes 2000 acres, much of which has been allowed to remain "natural". This provides great habitat for the birds. We'll spend the day birding the various areas on campus including the hummingbird filled Arboretum. The Arboretum is also filled with many beautiful plants from around the world. Time allowing, we'll also hit Santa Cruz hot spots near the campus. There is an additional suggested donation to enter the Arboretum.
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
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Sat. July 17, 2010
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Birding California's coastal Redwoods of Nisene Marks Park in Aptos
This trip will be conducted through the Los Gatos Birdwatcher
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$25
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With over 10,000 acres of dramatic coastal habitats coming up from the ocean to 2,600 feet in elevation we'll look for the species typical of redwood, mixed evergreen, and knobcone pine forests . We'll be on the hunt for accipiters, Pileated and Hairy Woodpeckers, Golden-crowned Kinglet , Hutton's and Warbling Vireos, Swainson's Thrush , Winter Wren , Purple Finch and several species of warblers just to name a few. We'll take our cars to various trail heads throughout the park and walk in amongst the tall evergreens to look for our birds. It will be a beautiful place to see some forest species and get us out of the valley heat. All the trees were milled out of this area up to 1923 when the lumber copanies pulled out. What habitat found there today provides a study of what has successfully re-established itself since that time.
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
Final trip report ! |
Sat. August 21, 2010
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Monterey Bay's Elkhorn Slough - where fresh water meets the ocean!
This trip will be conducted through the "Los Gatos Birdwatcher"
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$25 +
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Elkhorn Slough islocated south of Santa Cruz and is the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay. Located in the midst of the Monterey Bay coastline, its provides much-needed habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals, including more than 340 species of birds. We'll head to the coast to escape the inland heat while seeing some great birds. We'll plan to walk the trails at Elkhorn Slough and stop at the visitor's center. We'll also stop to check out the birds found off shore.
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
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Sat. Sept. 18, 2010
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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Team "Gallinago Go Go" fundraises for the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
7th Annual adventure for the California Fall Challenge. Trip fills at 15.
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$100
Donation
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This will be the 7th year team "Gallinago Go Go's" will participate in the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory's annual fundraiser the California Fall Challenge. Teams must limit their birding to one county and this year the Go Go's will head off to Marin County to get our minimum 100 species! Marin County starts just as soon as you cross the Golden Gate Bridge and is home to incredible fall hot spots like Point Reyes and Hawk Hill. Point Reyes is a magnet for migrating birds so birders far and wide come to the Point Reyes area every fall hoping to find eastern species that have flown a little off course on their journey south. This open expanse of land provides ideal habitats for birds to refuel and continue onward. We'll stop and bird the Pacific Ocean allowing for pelagic species, and we'll stop at many different locations around Point Reyes and try for some hawk watching at Hawk Hill.
This is a guided trip for
the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) and all are welcome to sign-up on the team. The team fills at 15 so don't hesitate. The guided trip leaders are volunteers and the $100 paid to go on this adventure is 100% tax deductable as it will all go directly to SFBBO. To learn about all the great work being done at the Bird Observatory please visit - http://www.sfbbo.org/
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Sat. Sept. 25, 2010
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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San Francisco's Golden Gate Park
This trip will be conducted through the Los Gatos Birdwatcher
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$25
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It was in the 1860's when the plans were put in motion to design San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in the. Encompassing more than a 1,000 acres, Golden Gate Park is home to many bird species living amongst the big city. During the fall migration the activity in the park increases as birds use the park as an oasis to rest and refuel on their journey south. We'll visit the many historic areas of the park as we search for new birds and migrants.
This trip is planned in partnership with Freddy Howell's, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher.
To sign-up please call the store at 408-358-9453.
Tell Me More ! |
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